‘Banjo Strings’ — a short film by Jack Coleman, featuring Roba Machado, Ryan Burch & Tom Curren.

Shall we consider very briefly what’s under their feet? Yes, let’s. Machado is seen riding several funky little numbers of his own devising, which are soon to be incorporated into the Firewire range. Very good fun they look too; more precise details can be found here. Burch is on a twin fin, also shaped by his own hand. Someone was telling me last night about how Burch got punched in the face at Mundaka a year or two ago — through no fault of his own. His face seems to be OK now, thankfully. Curren is on the souped-up skimboard we’ve seen so much of lately; the board’s a Brad Domke model, the fins are by the Guethary-based S-wings, but it was Curren who masterminded the marriage between them. It’s maybe not the most practical of crafts but he is evidently enjoying himself — how boring life would be without the occasional “voluntary attempt to overcome unnecessary obstacles”! And, after all, you’d still rather watch Curren surf anything at all than 99% of the world’s pro surfers on their standard shortboards . . . wouldn’t you?